Saturday, July 10, 2010

gimp

You take the little things--like having complete mobility--for granted, until they're taken away.

I actually wanted to go running yesterday. Zack and I were walking to the park near our house and admiring the sunset over the mountains when I was suddenly on the sidewalk. Apparently, I placed my foot in the one tiny dip in the sidewalk and sprained my ankle. Not only did I sprain my right ankle, but I also busted my left knee. I'm going to have a scar on top of another scar. At least once every year or so, I fall down and get a new scar on my left knee. This is why I wonder about the part of my brain that controls coordination.

I was supposed to go to Nagoya today to see a sumo match. I got up at 7 to give us plenty of time to get the bus, only to find that my ankle was still swollen and painful. Since we had already reserved the bus tickets and sumo tickets, I told Zack to go without me. Now, I'm at home, trying to keep my ankle elevated above my heart. I'm exhausted from hopping on one foot and I can't crawl because the giant wound on my knee will start bleeding again.

I also realized today, while trying to carry a plate from the kitchen to the living room without putting pressure on my ankle or spilling any food, that my workplace is completely not accessible to handicapped people. I walk to work every day, and then I have to jog up and down stairs all day to get to classes. How am I going to do that with a sprained ankle?

Japan is one of the worst places to be handicapped. The sidewalks are tiny and elevators are rare. I've only seen a handful of wheelchair-accessible restrooms since I got here last year.

Looks like I might have a day off tomorrow. Today, I am laying around and watching documentaries. Zack gets tired of hearing about how disturbing and truly fucked up the world is, but it never ceases to fascinate me. I am also going to write. I basked in the glory of my short story being published for a few minutes, then realized that I would never be able to bask again if I never finish another short story.

Unfortunately, my motivation level is directly proportional to my caffeine intake, and it is very difficult to hop from room to room while carrying hot liquids.